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Photographer lashes out at BuzzFeed for using image

I don’t know about you, but I’m over the obscure listicle trend on sites like BuzzFeed.

Unfortunately, it looks like I’m in the minority. A recent BuzzFeed article titled “18 everyday products you’ve been using wrong” netted more than 4 million views. It also landed the site in some hot water with one photographer who wasn’t happy the site used his photo.

Dan Catt published a piece on Slate that accused the site of using one of his copyrighted photos without his permission.

It’s a great read and he brings up a bunch of valid points.

There’s a larger conversation about fair use and Creative Commons for BuzzFeed and sites like it that use photos from the Internet to create entertaining articles.

Catt figured that he was owed at least $500 and sent BuzzFeed an invoice to that end. After that—and 4.2 million views later, Catt adds—BuzzFeed switched out the photo.

While the larger legal implications won’t be worked out any time soon, BuzzFeed art director John Gara reached out to Catt and agreed to pay $500 to a charity of Catt’s choice.